


finalis cogitata

by cerisemoon



Category: RWBY
Genre: POV Second Person, but i mean neo just got screwed over, but not really?, kinda angsty, or rather my attempt at it tbh, probably kinda ooc, roman's last thoughts, so he's probably not in his right mind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-12 18:44:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7118074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cerisemoon/pseuds/cerisemoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Neo!"</p>
<p>Your eyes are desperately darting around the sky, searching for your partner. All you can see is the swarm of Grimm flying around and above you, encircling the ship.</p>
<p>Neo isn't anywhere. Neo is gone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	finalis cogitata

**Author's Note:**

> just my thoughts on what might've been going through roman's head after what happened to neo.
> 
> i typed this up on mobile so forgive me for any colossal fuck-ups.
> 
> i hope you enjoy!

"Neo!"

You aren't quite sure how to process what just happened. You and your partner were fighting that damned little girl, and you were winning. Little Red had been hanging off the edge of the airship you'd commandeered, clutching her scythe, dangerously close to falling. Neo was standing above her, with a blade a few inches from her face, and then Neo's parasol had opened, and the raging wind lifted her up and away.

She didn't even scream.

Barely even a gasp.

Red is saying something now, seemingly very angry, (probably because you're attacking her school and kingdom, threatening the lives of all she holds dear) but you aren't listening, not really. You can't spot Neo. Where is she? She's flown out of view, and it's not as though she can call out to you. Your eyes are desperately darting around the sky, searching for any sign of your partner. All you can see is the swarm of Grimm flying around and above you, encircling the ship.

Neo isn't anywhere. 

Neo is gone.

How can she be gone?

You want to look behind you, hoping that she'll be there, silently laughing, like always, but you don't. You know she isn't there. You always know when she's around, there's a fuzzy warmth in your chest, and at your side, where she always is. Except it isn't there anymore. Neither is Neo.

Is she really gone? 

You don't believe it- No, you don't want to believe it, so you tell yourself that Neo will be fine. Your grip on Melodic Cudgel tightens, as does your chest. Neo will be fine, you tell yourself again. She's one of the best fighters you know, so it's not like she can't take on a hoarde of Grimm. You don't like to think about that though. 

Instead, you think of what could happen. Perhaps Neo is still airborne, skillfully dodging stray Grimm, or maybe she's just now landed safely on the ground, or a rooftop, and is looking up at the sky, searching for you as desperately as you are her. That's a nice thought. You pray it to be the truth.

It's only now that you realise Red is shouting at you, which means it's only been a few seconds, yet it feels like much longer.

You feel rage bubble up from within you. How dare she? She just (possibly but hopefully not) caused Neo's death (disappearance) and yet she has the audacity to ignore what she's done? With Neo gone, you've nothing to lose. So you go all out.

Red runs at you, rose petals trailing behind her as she zips around, and you jump into action. Firing a dust cartridge, you slide it down Melodic Cudgel and hit it towards her. It hits her dead center, and you feel immense satisfaction at the sound of her suffering as she cries out in pain. Just before she can recover, you're in front of her again, and you smack her backwards with your cane, and a shot to the stomach comes no more than a second later. 

Your attack is merciless, and unrelenting, without even giving her a second to catch her breath. She doesn't deserve mercy to you, and you want her to know that. To feel it in her aching bones, and see it in her scars if she survives. You don't really want her to. You aren't particularly a fan of murder, it's gruesome, and more Neo's thing, but you're sure you can forgive this exception.

"You got spirit Red, but this is the real world!" You begin to shout, and it feels nice. You normally tend not to shout either, not like this at least, but that's probably because you're absolutely furious, and more than a little desperate, a state you aren't often in. You might try yelling a little more in the future, if it feels this good. You still hit her of course. Nice and hard. It feels better than yelling. More solid; You can feel the results. They feel good. For you at least.

"The real world is cold!" Amd again, another whack to her side, but this time she blocks it. "The real world doesn't care about spirit!" Neither did he, really. Red must've gotten her second wind though, because she delivers a hefty kick to your knee, and you jump back as she stands, though her footing is shaky.

"You wanna be a hero?" You demand, staring her down and smirking, though your anger does not dissipate. You're almost willing her to try and hit you again, to take you down and return home the glorious saviour.

Because that's what it's about for her, isn't it? Beating up the bad guys without any thought for who they are, or why they turned to crime. No, because they're baddies aren't they? They don't matter. They aren't really people are they? They don't have families or friends, hopes or dreams, or people to protect because they're evil, and evil people don't have feelings like that, right? 

"Then play the part and die like every other huntsman in history!"

Wrong.

Your chest aches again, thinking of Neo, and all the others you've known and lost. Mostly Neo, if you're being honest. What a time to start, you think, and nearly laugh.

You stand straight, righting yourself, and you grimace at the fact that you have to put more weight on your right leg, because your left knee hurts too much. You feel better when you see that Red is swaying, and struggling to stand at all. Just beyond her, you see the Grimm - Griffons, if memory serves- swooping closer and wonder if it's your doing.

Steadying yourself, you make sure you've got a good grip on Melodic Cudgel. This has to end soon. You have to find Neo. You hope that when you do, you can both escape this crazy war Cinder and her boss were planning, and live in...whatever counts as peace for two criminals.

You push these thoughts to the side; You need to focus. One more strike with Melodic Cudgel sends Red flying again. 

"As for me, I'll do what I do best." You saunter over to her, enjoying your little beatdown. The ship rocks, and Red watches you with fearful eyes.

"Lie," She was scared. Good.

"Steal," You hope she screams, and absentmindedly, you wonder if this is how Neo feels when she's about to take a life.

"Cheat," You've won. You've won and boy, does it feel great. You raise Melodic Cudgel, ready to end it all...

"And survive!"

Everything goes black.

**Author's Note:**

> good god this took far longer to type than i thought it would.
> 
> but yeah, this is sorta just what i imagine may have been going on.
> 
> please feel free to correct any mistakes, it's very late so I've probably missed some stuff.
> 
> until next time.


End file.
